Keith Richards.

No other comemnt necessary.

Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards was hospitalized for a mild concussion he suffered while vacationing in Fiji, reportedly after falling out of a palm tree.

I guess a Rolling Stone gathers no moss -- but might try to harvest a few coconuts.

Posted by: Greg at 07:00 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Well, Saturday is the big day -- my beloved (if pathetic) Houston Texans have the first pick in the 2006 NFL draft. They've told local boy Vince Young not to wait on a call from them. They have dissed my preferred choice, D'Brickashaw Ferguson, by not even talking to his people -- despite the desperate need for help on the offensive line. That leaves twon names that they have mentioned -- DE Mario Williams and RB Reggie Bush. Smart money is on Bush.

But I wonder if this story changes things.

Reggie Bush's parents failed to pay $54,000 in rent for the year they lived in a house owned by an investor in a sports marketing agency that sought to represent Bush, the owner of the house said late last night in an interview at The San Diego Union-Tribune.

Yeah, that's right -- Reggie the Golden Boy is now the subject of an NCAA investigation, hours before the name of the top pick is going to be called out. Does this concern the Texans, especially given that owner Bob McNair has gone out of his way to cultivate a squeaky clean image for his team? Will McNair, Kubiak, Casserly and Reeves not merely break the hearts of Texans fans by drafting someone other than the Young man who grew up here, but do so with a player who appears to be dirty and whose team was out-classed by Vince and the Longhorns in the Rose Bowl? Does the appearance of impropriety change the equation?

We'll wait and see.

* * *

And while we are at it, let's take this opportunity to begin our all-weekend Linkfest and Open Trackback celebration.

Link back here with your posts that you believe should go high hin the draft -- your blogs "franchise players" if you will. I won't limit the number of posts you link back with, but do ask you to exercise prudent judgement.

But remember the Rhymes With Right Rules.

No Porn. No Ads. No Problem.

OTHER OPEN TRACKBACKERS -- Voteswagon, TMH Bacon Bits, Stuck on Stupid, Adam's Blog, Third World Country, Liberal Wrong Wing, Blue Star Chronicles, Conservative Cat, Tor's Rants, Uncooperative Blogger, 123Beta, Church and State, Cigar Intelligence Agency

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Neil Young, at some time in his drug-hazed life, came to believe that American’s give a damn about his political beliefs. And while I will concede a passing interest in some of his earlier works, I can guarantee that I won’t be adding his current rant to my music collection – regardless of the fawning reviews from some critics.

Just reading the lyrics makes me realize that this CD is gonna suck.

LetÂ’s impeach the president for lying
And leading our country into war
Abusing all the power that we gave him
And shipping all our money out the door

HeÂ’s the man who hired all the criminals
The White House shadows who hide behind closed doors
And bend the facts to fit with their new stories
Of why we have to send our men to war

LetÂ’s impeach the president for spying
On citizens inside their own homes
Breaking every law in the country
By tapping our computers and telephones

What if Al Qaeda blew up the levees
Would New Orleans have been safer that way
Sheltered by our governmentÂ’s protection
Or was someone just not home that day?

LetÂ’s impeach the president
For hijacking our religion and using it to get elected
Dividing our country into colors
And still leaving black people neglected

Thank god heÂ’s racking down on steroids
Since he sold his old baseball team
ThereÂ’s lot of people looking at big trouble
But of course the president is clean

Thank God

False, inaccurate, and just plain ignorant. And it doesnÂ’t have a beat you can dance to.

I still think the best response to the political ravings of Neil Young was made over three decades ago -- and I'll just update it slightly.

Well I heard mister Young sing about him
Well, I heard ole Neil put him down
Well, I hope Neil Young will remember
A Red State man don't need him around anyhow.

Sweet home America
Where we're red, white and blue
And the president's true
Sweet Home America
Lord, we still are true to you.

Posted by: Greg at 12:19 PM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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Once our new coach committed to David Carr, I had no illusions abotu Vince Young becoming a Houston Texan. Others still nursed that hope. Those hopes were dashed yesterday by GM Charley Casserly came out and said that the UT quarterback, a product of HISD's Madison High School, was not even a consideration in the Texans draft plans.

And one of those who was stung was the local hero himself.

Former University of Texas quarterback Vince Young had been aware of media reports that the Houston Texans had no intention of selecting him with Saturday's first pick in the NFL draft, but he was still surprised when general manager Charley Casserly admitted it publicly on Wednesday.

On the day the Texans made their first breakthrough in contract negotiations with Southern California running back Reggie Bush, Casserly explained at the team's annual pre-draft news conference why the team believes it's necessary to draft a player at another position, either Bush or North Carolina State defensive end Mario Williams.

"Yeah, I was still surprised when I heard about it," said Young, who came to New York this week to participate in events leading up to this weekend's draft. "I know what the media's been saying about them not taking me, but I wanted to play for my hometown team.

"If they don't want me, well, I know it's a business. I'm kind of disappointed, but I have to get ready for the draft and be prepared to play for the team that wants me."

I'm disappointed by the announcement, but only because it confirms that D'Brickashaw Ferguson will go elsewhere, even though he best fits the team's needs.

As for Young, the local boy will likely match up against the Texans twice a year -- division rival Tenessee will likely take him.

Posted by: Greg at 10:18 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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After all, the Texans have had no offensive line during the first four seasons -- that is clearly the team's most important need. D'Brickshaw Ferguson should be my team's first draft choice.

He was named for a priest in "The Thorn Birds" and is a youth minister with a degree in religious studies, so perhaps it should come as no surprise that D'Brickashaw Ferguson is considered more of refined, polished pass-blocker than a bulldozing, menacing run-blocker among the offensive line prospects in the NFL draft.

But because of his extraordinary seven-foot wingspan and exceptionally quick feet, the University of Virginia all-American is projected to be among the first five selections in Saturday's NFL draft, possibly as high as No. 2 by the New Orleans Saints.

* * *

Ferguson, 6 feet 6 inches and 308 pounds, added about 10 pounds after playing in his last college game, a 34-31 victory over Minnesota in the Music City Bowl in Nashville. He then further cemented his place among the top 10 NFL prospects with outstanding workouts at the Senior Bowl in Mobile and the NFL combine in Indianapolis. Those performances also alleviated any concerns NFL teams might have had about a knee injury that caused him to miss two games last season, the first time in his college career he was sidelined.

Looks like we will get Reggie bush instead -- hope there are some good linemen in the later rounds, otherwise he will spend much of next season on his ass behind the line of scrimmage.

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A new Star Trek feature film is coming – and it is a prequel!

More than three years after the last "Star Trek" movie crashed at the box office, the venerable sci-fi franchise is being revived by the director of the upcoming "Mission: Impossible" sequel, Daily Variety reported in its Friday edition.

The as-yet-untitled "Star Trek" feature, the 11th since 1979, is aiming for a fall 2008 release through Paramount Pictures, the Viacom Inc. unit looking to restore its box-office luster under new management, the trade paper said.

The project will be directed by J.J. Abrams, whose Tom Cruise vehicle "Mission: Impossible III" will be released by Paramount on May 5. Abrams, famed for producing the TV shows "Alias" and "Lost," will also help write and produce.

Daily Variety said the action would center on the early days of "Star Trek" characters James T. Kirk and Mr. Spock, including their first meeting at Starfleet Academy and first outer-space mission.

The projected release date is 2008 – and I’ll consider breaking my own Viacom boycott to get my USS Enterprise fix.

This does mean, though, that there will be no Chekov or Sulu – and maybe no Uhura.

Shall we start speculating on possible actors to fill the roles of Kirk, Spock, and other beloved characters?

Posted by: Greg at 01:54 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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We all remember the Tom Cruise/Brooke Shields dust-up over post-partum depression and psychology vs. Scientology. And we all have been flooded (to the point of nausea with the news of the Tom/Kat love-child. {*gag, choke, wretch*}

I was, on the other hand, blissfully unaware that "Pretty Baby" Shields was going to have another baby herself.

What were the chances of the two little girls sharing a birthdate?

God! I wish I had put 20 bucks on this in Vegas -- I could retire on the winnings.

* * *

Well, this is going nowhere fast. Why not make it into a linkfest thread?

Feel free to trackback with your good stuff. I won't limit the number of links, but do request that you practice reasonable restraint.

And don't forget this major rule.

No spam. No porn. No problem.

Posted by: Greg at 04:40 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Sharon Stone clearly needs to be drug tested.

Stone, 48, who appears naked in a soon-to-be-released sequel to the provocative 1992 sex thriller Basic Instinct, said Senator Clinton had an intimidating sexuality that would cost her votes.

"I think Hillary Clinton is fantastic, but I think it is too soon for her to run (for president)," Stone said in the latest edition of Hollywood Life magazine.

"A woman should be past her sexuality when she runs. Hillary still has sexual power and I don't think people will accept that. It's too threatening."

But while Stone wants the 58-year-old Senator Clinton to wait until her sexuality subsides, singer Madonna is urging her to "go for it" in 2008, even though the timing might not be right for Americans to put their trust in a woman president.

Seems my wife’s old classmate has a bit of a “fatal attraction” going on here.

And for the record, I have no problem with a sexy female presidential candidate. I’d vote for Condi in a heartbeat.

MORE AT Michelle Malkin

Posted by: Greg at 01:49 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Sharon Stone clearly needs to be drug tested.

Stone, 48, who appears naked in a soon-to-be-released sequel to the provocative 1992 sex thriller Basic Instinct, said Senator Clinton had an intimidating sexuality that would cost her votes.

"I think Hillary Clinton is fantastic, but I think it is too soon for her to run (for president)," Stone said in the latest edition of Hollywood Life magazine.

"A woman should be past her sexuality when she runs. Hillary still has sexual power and I don't think people will accept that. It's too threatening."

But while Stone wants the 58-year-old Senator Clinton to wait until her sexuality subsides, singer Madonna is urging her to "go for it" in 2008, even though the timing might not be right for Americans to put their trust in a woman president.

Seems my wife’s old classmate has a bit of a “fatal attraction” going on here.

And for the record, I have no problem with a sexy female presidential candidate. IÂ’d vote for Condi in a heartbeat.

MORE AT Michelle Malkin

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You’ve got to love it when the rich liberal elite show their contempt for the working man.

Consider this insult directed at Sean Hannity.

Hannity, furious that Baldwin allegedly broke a promise to appear on his show before Whitman's, wasted no time ripping into the liberal activist.

"Welcome to WABC, considering you were supposed to come on my program last week and you didn't show. What happened?" Hannity demanded.

"Why would I want to come on with a no-talent, former-construction-worker hack like you?" Baldwin answered.

Notice the insult – “former-construction-worker”. What’s the deal here, Alec? Do you really think you are better than those who work with their hands – or those who have raised themselves above their blue-collar roots?

Or is it that you are still pissed-off that you lost the plum-role of Jack Ryan to the much-more-talented Harrison Ford – who was working construction before he got his break into the acting biz?

MIRE AT Michelle Malkin

Posted by: Greg at 01:47 PM | Comments (3) | Add Comment
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YouÂ’ve got to love it when the rich liberal elite show their contempt for the working man.

Consider this insult directed at Sean Hannity.

Hannity, furious that Baldwin allegedly broke a promise to appear on his show before Whitman's, wasted no time ripping into the liberal activist.

"Welcome to WABC, considering you were supposed to come on my program last week and you didn't show. What happened?" Hannity demanded.

"Why would I want to come on with a no-talent, former-construction-worker hack like you?" Baldwin answered.

Notice the insult – “former-construction-worker”. What’s the deal here, Alec? Do you really think you are better than those who work with their hands – or those who have raised themselves above their blue-collar roots?

Or is it that you are still pissed-off that you lost the plum-role of Jack Ryan to the much-more-talented Harrison Ford – who was working construction before he got his break into the acting biz?

MIRE AT Michelle Malkin

Posted by: Greg at 01:47 PM | Comments (94) | Add Comment
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I suppose this should not surprise us at all.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, a big football fan, ruled out applying for the job of NFL commissioner after Paul Tagliabue retires.

"Unfortunately, it came open at the wrong time," Rice said Wednesday, clearly amused when a reporter posed the question. "Obviously, I'm very busy as secretary of state, and I intend to continue to be secretary of state as long as the president of the United States will have me."

Well, let the Secretary of StateÂ’s decision be duly noted, and may the search committee begin its work in earnest.

Posted by: Greg at 01:57 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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But who will supply his voice?

Contrary to popular assumption, "South Park" fans have not seen the Chef sling his final serving of hash.

The character, who until last week was voiced by Isaac Hayes, is back tomorrow in the first of several new episodes of Comedy Central's top-rated show.

The episode, "The Return of Chef" (10 p.m.), has the school-cafeteria cook returning after a hiatus to the bucolic town that Stan, Kyle, Kenny and Cartman call home. According to a brief description released by the network, the gang is happy "to have their old friend back, [but] they notice that something about Chef seems different. When Chef's strange behavior starts getting him in trouble, the boys pull out all the stops to save him."

Work on the episode began last week, after news broke of Hayes' decision to quit the show because it skewered the Church of Scientology, of which he's a member.

"There is a time when satire ends and intolerance and bigotry toward religious beliefs and others begins," Hayes, 63, said in a statement last week.

A Comedy Central spokesman would not confirm or deny that Chef's voice in tomorrow's episode is provided by Hayes, but he did reiterate that Hayes is no longer involved with the show. However, it would not be difficult to weave together existing dialogue from Hayes. And it is not unusual for Parker and Stone to deliver episodes at the last minute.

It's unclear whether tomorrow's episode involves Scientology.

But Parker and Stone's penchant for topical sacred-cow-bashing is well-known. So it would not be a stretch to assume that "Chef Returns" is the latest salvo in the battle between "South Park" and the religion that counts Tom Cruise and John Travolta among its devotees.

I cannot see the show getting rid of Chef – but I suppose there are a number of other voices who could fill the role nicely.

So tell me – whose voice do you think we will hear coming out of Chef’s mouth? Tell me in comments.

Posted by: Greg at 01:12 PM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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She has called it her dream job in the past, and the sport is one of her passions. Could Condoleezza Rice be moving to the NFL?

Paul Tagliabue is retiring as NFL commissioner in July after more than 16 years on the job.

The 65-year-old commissioner has led the league since 1989, when he succeeded Pete Rozelle, and agreed last March to stay to complete the television and labor deals.

He finally got that done 12 days ago, finishing the most arduous labor negotiations since the league and union agreed on a free agency-salary cap deal in 1992.

"I believe that now is a positive time to make the transition to a new commissioner," Tagliabue said in a statement.

Roger Goodell, the NFL's chief operating officer, and Atlanta general manager Rich McKay are the two leading candidates to succeed Tagliabue. Baltimore Ravens president Dick Cass is considered a dark horse. Well, it was an interesting career path suggestion.

Posted by: Greg at 01:51 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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I'm dead serious here. After SVU co-star/conspiracy nutjob/moonbat Richard Belzer made these comments on Bill Maher's show, I think it might be appropriate.

Belzer: “Okay, fine. No one questions the nobility and the honor that these men and woman who are serving and what they're doing. No one questions that. But now they're targets, they're not going out. Now they're just protecting each other and they're in the middle of a civil war. So it's really not fair to have these people who volunteered their lives to protect our nation under false pretenses to now be, to have targets-”

Congresswoman Ros-Lehtinen, over loud applause for Belzer: “Ask them. Ask them if it's fair! Wait a minute, wait a minute. My stepson, wait a minute, my stepson-”

Belzer: “That's bullshit: ask them! They're not, they don't read twenty newspapers a day. They're under the threat of death every minute. They're not the best people to ask about the war because they're gonna die any second.”

So, Mr. Belzer, those on-site are not in the position you are to evaluate the war? You know, those fignting and (sometines) dying are not capable of making an evaluationof the situation -- but some dub-ass actor/conspiracy theorist is mopre than qualified to do so because he reads the same wire-service reports out of the twenty different newspapers every day?

Not only that, Belzer and Maher indicate a certain contempt for the troops, even as tehy proclaim sympathy for them.

Ros-Lehtinen: “Wait a minute! You are talking about my stepson, my stepson who just finished last week eight months of duty-”

Belzer over Ros-Lehtenin: “God bless your stepson. Doesn't mean he's a brilliant scholar about the war because he's there. (applause) And God bless him.”

Ros-Lehtinen, quite agitated: “Oh, you are though! You are though? Okay.”

Belzer: “Well I have more time, I'm not there. My life is not under threat.”

Ros-Lehtinen: “Thank you. I'm glad.”

Maher: “I think the point he's trying to make is that a 19-year-old who is in that army because he probably couldn't find other employment-”

Ros-Lehtinen: “He's a college graduate. He's a Marine officer. He volunteered for the Marines.”

Belzer: “He's the exception for the rule.”

Ros-Lehtinen: “He's not the exception for the rule. I've been there-”

Belzer: “You think everyone over there is a college graduate? They're 19 and 20-year-old kids who couldn't get a job-”

Ros-Lehtinen: “Yeah, you know because you've been there and-”

Belzer: “What, I don't fucking read!? Don't do that!”

I love the blasphemous use of "God bless him" by Belzer. He's just indicated that he thinks this Iraq vet is an unemployable dullard who was duped into joining the military and is too stupid to know what is going on around him -- but "God bless him." But Belzer, having read the newspaper this morning, claims to be an expert on the war in Iraq.

I'll be finding something else to watch as long as Belzer remains on SVU. I encourage American patriots to do the same.

MORE AT: 24 Hour Blender Repair, Plains Feeder, Iowa Voice, Cursed by a Classical Education, Andric's Delusions, Nashville News, Diary of a Holywood Refugee, So Put Your Hand In Mine, Center for Sanity, Talk Show American, Right Winged, Protein Wisdom, Blogging Man 2007, NewsBusters, American Conservative Daily

OPEN TRACKBACKING AT: Conservative Cat, Stuck on Stupid, Adam's Blog, Samantha Burns, Third World Country, Liberal Wrong Wing, Bacon Bits, Real Ugly American, Camelot Destra Ideale, Voteswagon, Uncooperative Blogger, Blue Star, Jo's Cafe

Posted by: Greg at 06:30 AM | Comments (13) | Add Comment
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Neverland Ranch is Kaput.

Michael Jackson has shut down his Neverland Ranch for good.

Employees were summoned to the ranch Thursday at 5 p.m. PST in staggered groups, given back pay for 12 weeks through today, and were told the ranch had been shut down by the California Department of Labor.

In fact, Jackson made the decision to lay off more than 60 loyal staffers after making them wait through three months with no pay. Their health insurance ran out on February 28th. Last week, the State closed the ranch because Jackson carried no workmen's compensation.

Despite misleading statements from JacksonÂ’s spokesperson Raymone Bain, I am told that Neverland is indeed closed except to JacksonÂ’s family members and security staff.

Some of the employees of Neverland had been there with Jackson since he bought the place in the late 80s. A few actually had worked for the previous owner. They leave without pensions or the ability to apply for COBRA health insurance. All they can do now is apply for unemployment. My sources say many of them have already done that.

I wonder – will the California legislature look into the working conditions of employees of major entertainments, and regulate that industry? Or is it only the productive sector of America that has to bear the burden of government imposed labor rules?

Posted by: Greg at 10:02 AM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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Alan Jackson has covered the Bocephus hit “Texas Women" for years. He changed one line up last night in Houston, and the Chronicle’s critic wants to complain about it.

He did, however, manage a cheap dig during a cover of Hank Williams Jr.'s Texas Women. Jackson inserted the line, "I'm a cowboy fan/Not a Brokeback man," which drew cheers from the crowd. It was a smudge on an otherwise shining performance.

In other words, Joey Guerra so needs to find something to criticize in a stellar performance by a talented performer that he has to stoop to whining that a man singing a song about his love for women asserting his heterosexuality in a humorous manner reminiscent of Jay Leno or David Letterman.

Get a life, dude.

And remembr -- those who can, do; those who can't become entertainment critics.

Posted by: Greg at 12:35 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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This is sickening!

An artist invited Germans to come and be symbolically gased with car exhaust fumes in a former synagogue. Jewish leaders and media commentators say he is belittling the Holocaust and insulting its victims. But hundreds of people have lined up for the experience.

Santiago Sierra, a Spanish performance artist, pledged on Monday to hold talks with Jewish community leaders outraged by his project to give people a sense of the Holocaust by pumping lethal car exhaust fumes into a former synagogue and letting visitors enter one by one with a breathing apparatus.

Sierra, known internationally for his controversial work, led hoses from the exhaust pipes of six parked cars into the building in the town of Pulheim-Stommeln near Cologne to create lethal levels of carbon monoxide there.

* * *

There has been damning criticism from the German media. The Kölnische Rundschau newspaper said Sierra's "art horror light" led to just the kind of trivialization Sierra claimed to be fighting. "What Santiago Sierra is doing in the Stommeln synagogue indeed takes your breath away, unless you're a visitor, in which case you get plenty of oxygen, take zero risks and are even caringly accompanied by a fireman," it wrote.

"That's quite a contrast with the countless victims of the death camps. How pretentious to seek to evoke their horror and fear of death in such a cheap way! In a cynical game which yields no insight whatsoever."

"At a time in which ever fewer authentic witnesses are alive to tell of the Nazi terror, we have to find serious and appropriate ways to give young people a sense of responsibility for the present and the future, without apportioning guilt," the paper said. "Sierra's work degrades history to a fictional spectacle and only does damage in this respect."

Thank God this is not taking place in America – your tax dollars would probably be paying for this “little synagogue of horrors” belittling of the Holocaust.

Posted by: Greg at 02:02 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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This is sickening!

An artist invited Germans to come and be symbolically gased with car exhaust fumes in a former synagogue. Jewish leaders and media commentators say he is belittling the Holocaust and insulting its victims. But hundreds of people have lined up for the experience.

Santiago Sierra, a Spanish performance artist, pledged on Monday to hold talks with Jewish community leaders outraged by his project to give people a sense of the Holocaust by pumping lethal car exhaust fumes into a former synagogue and letting visitors enter one by one with a breathing apparatus.

Sierra, known internationally for his controversial work, led hoses from the exhaust pipes of six parked cars into the building in the town of Pulheim-Stommeln near Cologne to create lethal levels of carbon monoxide there.

* * *

There has been damning criticism from the German media. The Kölnische Rundschau newspaper said Sierra's "art horror light" led to just the kind of trivialization Sierra claimed to be fighting. "What Santiago Sierra is doing in the Stommeln synagogue indeed takes your breath away, unless you're a visitor, in which case you get plenty of oxygen, take zero risks and are even caringly accompanied by a fireman," it wrote.

"That's quite a contrast with the countless victims of the death camps. How pretentious to seek to evoke their horror and fear of death in such a cheap way! In a cynical game which yields no insight whatsoever."

"At a time in which ever fewer authentic witnesses are alive to tell of the Nazi terror, we have to find serious and appropriate ways to give young people a sense of responsibility for the present and the future, without apportioning guilt," the paper said. "Sierra's work degrades history to a fictional spectacle and only does damage in this respect."

Thank God this is not taking place in America – your tax dollars would probably be paying for this “little synagogue of horrors” belittling of the Holocaust.

Posted by: Greg at 02:02 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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One attendee at Sunday nights Academy of Friends AIDS fundraising gala in San Francisco made this unintentionally funny comment.

Caralee Schmitt, who attended the event with her husband, marveled at the cowboy couture on display Sunday, which she had never seen growing up in Bozeman, Mont.

"My father was a cowboy, but not at all like these kind of cowboys," said Schmitt, who lives in South San Francisco.

Must.

Not.

Go.

There.

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She was one of the shining stars of science fiction, a woman who rose from the humblest of origins to become one of the leading ladies of her genre.

Octavia Butler has died in a tragic, senseless accident, at the age of 58.

Octavia E. Butler, considered the first black woman to gain national prominence as a science fiction writer, died after falling and striking her head on the cobbled walkway outside her home, a close friend said. She was 58.

Butler was found outside her home in the north Seattle suburb of Lake Forest Park after the accident Friday, and died the same day. She had suffered from high blood pressure and heart trouble and could only take a few steps without stopping for breath, said Leslie Howle, who knew Butler for two decades and works at the Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame in Seattle.

Butler's work wasn't preoccupied with robots and ray guns, Howle said, but used the genre's artistic freedom to explore race, poverty, politics, religion and human nature.

"She stands alone for what she did," Howle said. "She was such a beacon and a light in that way."

Fellow Seattle-based science fiction authors Greg Bear and Vonda McIntyre said they were stunned by the news and called it a tremendous loss, and science-fiction Internet sites quickly filled with posts dedicated to her.

"We've lost the most intelligent and capable voice in the genre," one fan wrote. "Octavia was the SciFi I picked up when I realized that there could be more to SciFi/fantasy than simple escapism."

She was, and remains, the only science fiction writer to receive a genius grant from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.

I was not a devotee of Ms. Butler’s work, but I held her in high esteem. She is one of those authors who my students introduced me to during my years teaching English. There was something in her style, and her personal story, that spoke to my students, especially my black girls who found a role model in Ms. Butler. And I believe it is that, most of all, that leaves me with a sense of loss – she inspired my children to read, and to think.

Posted by: Greg at 06:46 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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To paraphrase Homer Simpson, "Celebrities -- what don't they think they know?"

Pamela Anderson is boycotting the Kentucky Derby. The 38-year-old actress, who is an animal rights activist, says her opposition to animal cruelty in all its forms means she can never go back to the famed horse race.

"It makes me want to avoid Kentucky altogether, which is sad because there are so many great people there," Anderson said in a statement released Tuesday by the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.

Anderson, a PETA member who attended the Derby in 2001 and 2003, has been involved in anti-fur ads and a campaign to raise awareness of what she calls abuse of chickens in processing plants that supply poultry to Louisville-based KFC.

"Like most people, I don't want to support cruelty to animals, whether it's forcing horses to race for our amusement or scalding chickens alive for our plate," Anderson said. "We have to be more evolved than this."

Last month, Kentucky Gov. Ernie Fletcher refused Anderson's request to have a bust of KFC founder Colonel Harland Sanders removed from the state Capitol. Fletcher cited Sanders as a state icon and KFC called Anderson's attack a misguided publicity stunt.

You know, Pamela Anderson is simply a bubble-headed, buble-breasted celebrity with an opinion. It isn't based upon anything substantial, but she somehow thinks that the fact she looks marginally good in a swimsuit makes her an expert about things.

But remember -- this is one of those folks who thinks it is a good idea to videotape sex acts with her spouse and leave them lying around where others can get their hands on them. That should tell you all that you need to know about her judgement.

So this may, pass me some white meat and a mint julep on Derby Day.

Posted by: Greg at 11:52 AM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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I've always loved the song, and never even considered teh race issue.

DURHAM, N.H. - A ’70s rock song used to rally fans at University of New Hampshire hockey games for perhaps a decade, “Black Betty,” is no more.

Athletic Director Marty Scarano told the campus newspaper The New Hampshire that the rollicking 1977 song by Ram Jam was banned because it is “theoretically racist.”

The NAACP deemed the Ram Jam version of the old song offensive to black women three decades ago, and UNH has received intermittent complaints about it for years, the Concord Monitor reported yesterday.

Two years ago, a student group that studied diversity at the school said it should be banned. Scarano said a more recent complaint pushed him to outlaw it, but he did not say who complained.

Dominated by repetitive “na-na-na-na-nas,” “bam-ba-lams” and the exclamation “Black Betty!” the song has been played at the starts of the second and third periods of UNH hockey games for more than a decade, according to a school Web site.

I'm offended by the ban -- I guess that means they will have to ban the ban on "Black Betty".

Whoa, Black Betty (Bam-ba-Lam)
Whoa, Black Betty (Bam-ba-Lam)
Black Betty had a child (Bam-ba-Lam)
The damn thing gone wild (Bam-ba-Lam)
She said, "I'm worryin' outta mind" (Bam-ba-Lam)
The damn thing gone blind (Bam-ba-Lam)
I said Oh, Black Betty (Bam-ba-Lam)
Whoa, Black Betty (Bam-ba-Lam)

Oh, Black Betty (Bam-ba-Lam)
Whoa, Black Betty (Bam-ba-Lam)
She really gets me high (Bam-ba-Lam)
You know that's no lie (Bam-ba-Lam)
She's so rock steady (Bam-ba-Lam)
And she's always ready (Bam-ba-Lam)
Whoa, Black Betty (Bam-ba-Lam)
Whoa, Black Betty (Bam-ba-Lam)

Whoa, Black Betty (Bam-ba-Lam)
Whoa, Black Betty (Bam-ba-Lam)
She's from Birmingham (Bam-ba-Lam)
Way down in Alabam' (Bam-ba-Lam)
Well, she's shakin' that thing (Bam-ba-Lam)
Boy, she makes me sing (Bam-ba-Lam)
Whoa, Black Betty (Bam-ba-Lam)
Whoa, Black Betty BAM-BA-LAM

By the way, if anyone bothered to check, the song is the product of that great ofl bluesman, Huddie "Leadbelly" Ledbetter.

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I would have to speculate that the team won't be drafting hometown hero Vince Young with that #1 pick. This kind of contract really means that Carr will remain quarterback for the forseeable future here in Houston.

The Texans exercised the three-year, $8 million option bonus on quarterback David Carr's contract this week and expect to hire Mike Sherman as assistant head coach/offensive line next week.

Although Carr's extension has been widely reported since November, when owner Bob McNair first said he would give the quarterback the $8 million before the last game of the season — Sunday's Pro Bowl — it wasn't official until this week.

An announcement is expected today.

Not only does the extension give Carr the $8 million bonus, but he receives base salaries of $5.25 million in 2006, $5.5 million in 2007 and $6 million in 2008.

The first pick in the 2002 draft, Carr earned $22 million in his first four years with the Texans, not including incentive bonuses. Barring a career-ending injury or restructuring of his contract for salary-cap purposes, he'll earn $46.75 million over the first seven years of his career.

I'm still thinking that we need D'Brickashaw Ferguson, the offensive lineman from Virginia, but we would have to trade down in the draft a few spots -- he is a great player, but not great enough to be the first overall pick. I'm unable to think of an offensive lineman in years who would have been.

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I don’t see how the Boondocks creator, whose career began as a protégé of Jayson Blair, is even entitled to call himself a cartoonist any more.

“The Boondocks” now runs in 300 papers but Aaron McGruder no longer draws it. He outsourced that duty to Jennifer Seng, a Boston artist, explaining that he thinks he's a better writer than artist.

* * *
In similar style to the strip, the cartoon series is outsourced. McGruder flew to Seoul, Korea to oversee the initial animation.

Seems to me that Aaron McGruder, a left-wing radical who has become a corporate sell-out and does not even do his own artwork for his cartoon, is probably best described by the words he placed in the mouth of Rev. Martin Luther King in a recent episode of his creation’s Cartoon Network show – a “trifling, shiftless, good for nothing nigger”.

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This is just sick. And not just because of the casting of a no-talent skank like Britney Spears as a Christian.

Britney Spears will guest star on an episode of "Will & Grace," NBC announced Tuesday.

The pop star will appear as a Christian conservative sidekick to Sean Hayes' character, Jack, who hosts his own talk show, on the April 13 episode, the network said.

Jack's fictional network, Out TV, is bought by a Christian TV network, leading to Spears contributing a cooking segment called "Cruci-fixin's."

Utterly tasteless!

Posted by: Greg at 12:18 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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I love it when a liberal becomes a complete hypocrite – insisting that his right to free speech and an audience trumps everyone else’s right to raise a voice in opposition.

There is such a thing as bad publicity after all.

Creators of "Jerry Springer - The Opera," the musical that sparked outrage among conservative Christians when shown on British television, say protests and lobbying have dented ticket sales for a tour in what they call a blow to freedom of speech.

The outcry, which culminated in more than 60,000 people complaining to the British Broadcasting Corporation when it aired the profanity-laden show last year, has also undermined plans to take the award-winning musical to Broadway.

"Despite having a show which has won all the best musical awards and critical praise, I would say that it looks to me like (lobby group) Christian Voice are winning the audience battle," said Jon Thoday, the show's producer.

So it seems that the threat to free speech here is the speech of Christians calling the show blasphemous and profane – a description that most would argue fits the show.

Sorry, Mr. Thoday, but the peaceful speech of your opponents is not a threat to free speech – it is the ultimate triumph of free speech.

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He’s moved to the Middle East, and now he’s wearing a abaya – will this guy ever stop the move into Bizarro-World?

MANAMA, Bahrain — Pop star Michael Jackson was spotted shopping in a Bahrain mall today, hiding his face behind a veil and donning a black robe traditionally worn by women in the Gulf.

He was with three children, apparently his own, who also had their faces covered by dark scarves. An unidentified woman accompanied them.

The pop star, who seems to be settling in the Persian Gulf, was seen leaving Marina Mall in the Bahrain capital, holding a child by the hand. On the way out a back door, he shook hands with security guards.

The woman — also dressed in the black robe called an abaya, jeans and a scarf that partially covered her face — had the two other children. All three children were wrapped in black scarves and wore yellow shirts and sweatpants or khakis without robes.

Since his June acquittal on child molestation charges in California, Jackson has made several trips to Bahrain as a guest of Sheik Abdullah bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the son of Bahrain's king. He reportedly was negotiating a position as a consultant with a Bahrain-based company that plans to set up theme parks and music academies in the Middle East.

On the mall outing, Jackson wore an abaya, pants, a white shirt and men's shoes. His head and face were wrapped in a black veil and he also wore black gloves.

The veil, abaya and gloves were of a style typically worn by conservative Bahraini women.

Uhhhhhhh…. Yeah.

Posted by: Greg at 03:26 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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He’s moved to the Middle East, and now he’s wearing a abaya – will this guy ever stop the move into Bizarro-World?

MANAMA, Bahrain — Pop star Michael Jackson was spotted shopping in a Bahrain mall today, hiding his face behind a veil and donning a black robe traditionally worn by women in the Gulf.

He was with three children, apparently his own, who also had their faces covered by dark scarves. An unidentified woman accompanied them.

The pop star, who seems to be settling in the Persian Gulf, was seen leaving Marina Mall in the Bahrain capital, holding a child by the hand. On the way out a back door, he shook hands with security guards.

The woman — also dressed in the black robe called an abaya, jeans and a scarf that partially covered her face — had the two other children. All three children were wrapped in black scarves and wore yellow shirts and sweatpants or khakis without robes.

Since his June acquittal on child molestation charges in California, Jackson has made several trips to Bahrain as a guest of Sheik Abdullah bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the son of Bahrain's king. He reportedly was negotiating a position as a consultant with a Bahrain-based company that plans to set up theme parks and music academies in the Middle East.

On the mall outing, Jackson wore an abaya, pants, a white shirt and men's shoes. His head and face were wrapped in a black veil and he also wore black gloves.

The veil, abaya and gloves were of a style typically worn by conservative Bahraini women.

UhhhhhhhÂ…. Yeah.

Posted by: Greg at 03:26 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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In a move that has set the sports world -- especially here in Houston -- buzzing, University of Texas quarterback Vince Young has announced that he is skipping his senior season and going pro.

Texas junior quarterback Vince Young will enter the NFL draft and forgo his final year of college.

Young made the announcement official this afternoon at a press conference in Austin. A close family friend told the Chronicle of the decision earlier today.

"I wanna thank God for being in the position I'm in today ... I was ready to move on to the next level ... Hard work has paid off a whole lot," Young said this afternoon while thanking his family, his pastor and Texas coach Mack Brown.

Young thanked Brown "for all the things you have done for me ... on and off the field." Young said Brown made him a better man.

"He has the blessing of God, the pastor and his family," said Yolanda Lezine, Young's godmother and the family media's spokeswoman told the Chronicle earlier today. "It's his decision. Everybody is going to support him a 110 percent."

In a statement, Brown said he met with Young and his family this morning and fully supports Young's decision.

``We love Vince and appreciate all the great things he's done for the University of Texas on and off the field,'' Brown said. ``We'll miss him, but want him to do as well in the NFL as he did in college.''

There are a lot of Longhorn fans bemoaning this move right now, because there are questions about who will take over for Young (30-2 during his time at UT) at quarterback.

But here in Houston, there is an even bigger question.

Young's hometown Houston Texans have the first pick. Young said it would be wonderful to play in Houston, but realizes he could wind up somewhere else.

One those possibilities is Tennessee, which has the third pick. Young counts Titans quarterback Steve McNair among his close friends. He said McNair told him "go with your heart" in making his decision.

Let me tell you -- this Houston Texans season ticketholder would love to see Young play here, but I wonder if this would be the best place for Young, who grew up in a tougher part of Houston. One of my former students was drafted in the third round a few years ago, and I was relieved that he went to a team up north. After all, I knew some of the guys he was friends with as a kid, and I didn't want them around him as hangers-on. I feel something similar about Vince, who beat my team school's team in an epic battle a few years ago.

Besides, what Houston really needs is D'Brickashaw Ferguson from UVa, the top offensive lineman in the draft, to shore up a weak offensive line. Vince young's decision makes it possible for us to trade down a little furhter and get a little more between now and draft day.

Still, it would be one hell of a fantasy to have Vince Young scrambling around the way he did at the Rose Bowl.

Posted by: Greg at 02:05 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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(UPDATED 1/6/06 -- SCROLL DOWN)

Michael Vick is the quarterback of the Atlanta Falcons. His little brother Marcus is the quarterback of the Virginia Tech Hokies. Hopefully the school will have the integrity to make Marcus the FORMER quarterback of the Hokies.

Virginia Tech quarterback Marcus Vick may face disciplinary action yet again in the wake of actions in MondayÂ’s Gator Bowl that athletic director Jim Weaver called unsportsmanlike and unacceptable.

Late in the first half against Louisville, Vick looked down, paused and stomped on the back of the knee of Elvis Dumervil — the Cardinals’ national Defensive Player of the Year.

Hokies quarterbacks coach Kevin Rogers yelled at Vick during the game and was critical of his actions in interviews with the media afterward. With a day to review the play, Weaver weighed in.

“The unsportsmanlike conduct of quarterback Marcus Vick ... is unacceptable behavior and contrary to the Hokies Respect Campaign,” Weaver said in a written release. “Such on-field action is not reflective of Virginia Tech football nor of the values we hold at Virginia Tech. I and my colleagues in central administration are embarrassed, and this athletic administration will not condone such acts of unsportsmanlike conduct. We will review and assess this incident further and deal with it accordingly.”

Marcus has hardly been a model of decorum during his college career.

During his stay in Blacksburg, the junior has appeared in court for charges that include reckless driving, possession of marijuana and contributing to the delinquency of a minor. HeÂ’s had to perform community service, attend drug counseling and forfeit his driverÂ’s license for eight months.

He’s a convicted criminal — purportedly rehabilitated — but also Virginia Tech’s All-ACC quarterback. He rallied the Hokies to a comeback Gator Bowl victory to cap a fine season. But it came a year after he served a semester-long suspension from school that cost him the entire 2004 season for prior indiscretions.

Taking into account the school’s comments in 2004 when he was suspended, along with Weaver’s statement Tuesday, Vick’s future with the team is uncertain. The day in August of 2004 when Vick was suspended, Tech president Charles Steger said that if Vick returned to the school and team, it would be a “last-chance opportunity.”

Steger added, “If there is any more trouble, his Virginia Tech career is effectively ended.”

His blanket statement did not indicate whether on-field infractions were included.

Not that the school has held him to that high of a standard thus far this year.

What is clear is that Vick has fallen short of his stated goal from that day. “I will work hard to improve myself as a person,” he said then. “I want to bring pride to the Hokies. I want to bring pride to the Vick name.”

But there wasn’t much pride in his apology earlier this season for flipping off fans in the West Virginia stands. Nor was there much glory in being called “a no-character individual” by Dumervil after the latest game and drawing reviews like the one from Rogers.

The time has come for officials at Virginia Tech to act. Dump Marcus Vick from the team, Yank his scholarship, and tell him he has until sundown to get out of Blacksburg.

UPDATE -- 1/6/06: Much to their credit, Virginia Tech has thrown Vick off the team.

Virginia Tech on Friday kicked embattled quarterback Marcus Vick off the football team, citing the cumulative effects of numerous legal transgressions and his unsportsmanlike conduct in the Jan. 2 Gator Bowl.

The announcement from university president Charles Steger came on the same day that coach Frank Beamer met with Vick and his mother in their Hampton Roads home, the school said in a new release. Beamer informed them of the decision during the meeting.

Vick, who already was on a short string after being suspended from school in 2004 for several legal problems, came under new and intense scrutiny this week after he was caught on tape stomping on the left calf of an opponent during the Gator Bowl.

No flag was called on the play, but Vick did not help himself by claiming it was accidental, even though the frequently shown replay betrayed that claim. He further hurt his cause by claiming to have apologized to Louisville All-American defensive end Elvis Dumervil for the incident, but Dumervil said no such apology ever was offered.

Then, on Friday, even more legal trouble for the junior surfaced when it was revealed that he had been stopped for speeding and driving on a suspended license in Hampton on Dec. 17, Cpl. James West said. His license had been taken away in August 2004 when he was cited for reckless driving and marijuana possession in New Kent.

That means that Marcus Vick has three choices.

Vick said before the Hokies' 35-24 comeback victory in the Gator Bowl that he planned to return for his senior season with the Hokies. Now, his choices are to declare for the NFL Draft by the Jan. 15 deadline, transfer to a Division I-AA school so he can play next season or transfer to a Division I-A school and sit out a year.

NFL teams with any class have only one choice -- refuse to draft him (that means he will probably end up as an Oakland Raider, since they condone lawlessness and rule breaking).

His antics may have seriously harmed his NFL prospects.

One NFL general manager, speaking on the condition of anonymity because Vick hasn't entered the draft, said the quarterback's draft prospects would depend on how he looks in pre-draft workouts and how he answers teams' questions about his past off-field troubles.

NFL teams will be worried about Vick's off-field problems, the general manager said, but might take a chance on drafting him because of his obvious skill. The general manager said his early guess is that Vick would be a mid- to late-round selection in the seven-round draft, but he pointed out that one team willing to take a risk can change that forecast.

I offer only two words to any pro team thingking about spending a draft pick on this guy -- Lawrence Phillips.

UPDATE -- 1/7/06: Well, Vick's initial plan of action is to go pro.

Friday night, Vick told The Virginian-Pilot that he would turn professional.

“It’s not a big deal. I’ll just move on to the next level, baby” he said when spotted at a Virginia Beach restaurant.

Asked if that meant he would enter the NFL draft, he said, “Yeah, definitely.”

I hope you get picked last and earn the title of "Mr. Irrelevant", baby.

LINK TO: Southern Appeal

Posted by: Greg at 11:03 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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In a stunning comeback led by junior quarterback Vince Young, the Texas Longhorns snapped the 34-game winning streak of the USC Trojans and seized the title of National Champions!

PASADENA, Calif. -- Thirty six years in waiting. Texas won tonight's Rose Bowl and the national championship in a spectacular 41-38 comeback win over USC.

Quarterback Vince Young was the difference-maker, scoring the winning touchdown in the dying seconds en route to a 200-yard rushing performance. With nineteen seconds on the clock, Young made a 9-yard dash count and added the two-play for good measure to seal the win.

Earlier, the Trojans gained some breathing room with 6:42 left in the game when quarterback Matt Leinart hooked up with Dwayne Jarrett on a 22-yard play for a 38-26 lead, but the Longhorns responded immediately with a 17-yard rushing touchdown from Vince Young with 4:03 remaining.

Just look at the stats put up by Vince Young, whose effort tonight makes you question why the Heisman Trophy went to USC running back Reggie Bush (with his fellow Trojan, QB Matt Leinart) rather than the Longhorn quarterback, who finished third in the balloting.

Texas Passing

Young

C/ATT -- 30/40

YDS -- 267

TD -- 0

INT -- 0

Texas Rushing
Young
CAR -- 20
YDS -- 200
TD -- 3
LG -- 45

I'm not surprised by the outcome, having seen Vince Young do something like this once before, in 2001, to a team that everyone said was better than his. His performance was amazing.

One of the most incredible high school football games of all-time was played last Friday at the Houston Astrodome. Houston Madison with their All-American quarterback Vince Young met Galena Park North Shore, the No. 1 5A team in Texas and the No. 5 team in the country by USA TODAY.

North Shore scored 58 points and had 605 yards of total offense, but lost to Young and his Madison team by an amazing 61-58 score. Madison managed "only" 530 yards of total offense. Both teams came into the 5A quarterfinals with perfect 12-0 records.

Young, as expected, was brilliant, and he combined with Courtney Lewis (5-10, 180, 4.4) to overwhelm the overmatched Mustangs defense. The Madison quarterback completed 13 of 20 passes for 177 yards and three touchdowns and added another 192 yards rushing with three more scores. Lewis scored five touchdowns and also rushed for 129 yards."

That night I left the Astrodome in tears, having watched young men for whom I cared deeply lose a hard-fought game. Tonight my tears are tears of joy at seeing Vince Young lead a team to victory.

Hook 'Em, Horns!

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Looks like Reggie Bush will be plying his trade here in Space City, as the Houston Texans dropped their 14th game of the season to San Francisco.

The Texans had so much to lose if they won their season finale. They nearly did it anyway.

Instead, the San Francisco 49ers salvaged some pride in their own miserable season — and the Texans got on the clock for the NFL draft in April.

Mike Adams lateraled his second interception to Ben Emanuel for a 35-yard return in overtime, Joe Nedney kicked a 33-yard field goal with 3:52 left and the 49ers earned their first consecutive victories in more than two years with a 20-17 victory Sunday.

But after one last loss, fans of the Texans (2-14) might have felt like the real winners: Their franchise clinched the top pick. Houston now has the chance to choose Reggie Bush, the Heisman Trophy-winning tailback from USC who's widely expected to enter the draft.

"Whatever happens in this game, it won't have any effect on me," Bush said in Los Angeles, where he's preparing for Wednesday's Rose Bowl against Texas. "Obviously it will just (affect) who gets the first pick in the NFL draft. ... Like I said from Day 1, I won't be worried about it until after the season."

My wife and I spent much of the game speculating about possible trades of draft picks. After all, Domanick Davis is a good RB, and the receiver corps is acceptable. We need an offensive lineman -- and Virginia's D'Brickashaw Ferguson would fit the bill nicely, but probably shouldn't go in the first spot.

And sources close to the Texans are reporting that the long-expected firing of Dom Capers will happen tomorrow. But there is a surprise.

Coach Dom Capers' firing has been a foregone conclusion for weeks, but a highly placed team official said today that general manager Charley Casserly will return to the Texans and remain in charge of the personnel department. Capers' firing will be made official Monday morning and announced at an afternoon news conference at Reliant Stadium.

Speculation is swirling around possible head coaches for the Texans.

The Texans are expected to interview, among others, Washington assistant head coach/defense Gregg Williams, Denver offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak, Pittsburgh offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt, Buffalo defensive coordinator Jerry Gray, Chicago defensive coordinator Ron Rivera and possibly New York Giants defensive coordinator Tim Lewis.

The Texans also are expected to interview one or two college head coaches with NFL experience.

I've also heard Wade Phillips mentioned, which would go over well with Houstonfans. After all, his dad was the Oiler's coach for years.

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It is a sad commentary on some of the most undeservedly over-privileged individuals in America when they can't be bothered to show support for the men and women serving our country in the Crusade Against Islamist Terrorists.

During world war two American troops away from home for Christmas were entertained by Marlene Dietrich, Bing Crosby and the Marx Brothers. Even in Vietnam Bob Hope was guaranteed to put in an appearance. But soldiers in Iraq are more likely to get a show from a Christian hip-hop group, a country singer you have probably never heard of and two cheerleaders for the Dallas Cowboys.

Just as the seemingly intractable nature of the war has led to a growing recruitment crisis, so the United Services Organisation, which has been putting on shows for the troops since the second world war, is struggling to get celebrities to sign up for even a short tour of duty

t is a far cry from the days following the September 11 2001 attacks, when some of the biggest names in show business, from Jennifer Lopez to Brad Pitt, rallied to the cause. "After 9/11 we couldn't have had enough airplanes for the people who were volunteering to go," Wayne Newton, the Las Vegas crooner who succeeded Bob Hope as head of USO's talent recruiting effort, told USA Today. "Now with 9/11 being as far removed as it is, the war being up one day and down the next, it becomes increasingly difficult to get people to go."

Newton said many celebrities have been wary of going because they think it might be seen that they are endorsing the war. "And I say it's not. I tell them these men and women are over there because our country sent them, and we have the absolute necessity to try to bring them as much happiness as we can."

Fear is also a factor. "They're scared," country singer Craig Morton, who is in Iraq on the USO's Hope and Freedom Tour 2005, told USA Today. "It's understandable. It's not a safe and fun place and a lot of people don't want to take the chance."

O course, there are some -- on all sides of the political spectrum -- who are willing to travel to bring some cheer to the troops.

Some of the entertainers still willing to travel are die-hard true believers - rock musician Ted Nugent carried a Glock handgun to shows in Iraq last year and said in a radio interview that he manned a machine gun on a Humvee. But many of the USO's regular performers are fierce critics of the war, among them the comic and star of Good Morning Vietnam, Robin Williams, who told USA Today he would like to return to the Middle East in the spring for what would be his fourth tour since 2002. "I'm there for the [troops], not for W," he said in a reference to the president. "Go, man. You won't forget it. You'll meet amazing people," is his message to stars that ask him about the tours. But the comedian said he mostly tries to keep politics out of the show after he did a few jokes about Bush's brainpower at a base in 2003 and got a chilly reception.

Other critics of the war who regularly perform include the leftwing comedian Al Franken (who is headlining the current tour along with Christian hip-hop group Souljahz) and the punk legend and actor Henry Rollins, one of the Bush administrations most vocal critics.

The tradition of beautiful women thrilling the troops has continued - although while Marilyn Monroe and Jane Russell showed up in Korea and Vietnam could boast Raquel Welch, in Iraq they have had to make do with sometime pop singer and reality TV star Jessica Simpson.

Others who have travelled to Iraq include 50 Cent, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and the Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders.

But it appears that a lot of these folks have now retreated to a September 10 mentality.

Posted by: Greg at 02:02 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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I am a Houston Texans fan -- a hard statement to make this season, I know, but a true one.

Over the last four seasons, I have watched my team play the Indianapolis Colts eight times, and I have come to have a great respect for their coach, Tony Dungy. By all accounts, he is a decent man.

Tragedy has struck the Dungy family.

The 18-year-old son of Indianapolis Colts Coach Tony Dungy was found dead in his Tampa-area apartment early yesterday. Police said there was no sign of foul play and that an autopsy to determine the official cause of death will be conducted this morning. Results were expected to be announced later today.

James Dungy, the second oldest of five children of Dungy and his wife Lauren, was a student at Hillsborough Community College and had graduated last spring from North Central High School in Indianapolis. Over his father's 10-year tenure as an NFL head coach, he had been a frequent presence at practice and on the sideline on game days when Dungy coached the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 1996 to 2001 and, over the last four seasons, the Colts.

My deepest condolences to the Dungy family.

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The Houston Texans have brought in Dan Reeves as a consultant.

Frustrated and disappointed with a team that has the worst record in the National Football League, Houston Texans owner Bob McNair has hired four-time Super Bowl coach Dan Reeves as a consultant in a move that ultimately may determine the fates of embattled general manager Charley Casserly and head coach Dom Capers.

After a 13-10 loss to the Tennessee Titans on Sunday — the Texans' third consecutive defeat in the final seconds of regulation or in overtime — McNair called on Reeves, a fellow University of South Carolina alumnus, to help evaluate the personnel on his team, which has just one win in 13 games this season.

"None of us are happy with the performance of our team," McNair said Monday while introducing Reeves at a news conference. "We all want to do everything we can to improve our team. That's what this effort is all about."

McNair said he has hired Reeves for "a couple of months" but added that the relationship could last longer.

"It could be that it develops into some sort of longer-term relationship," McNair said. "A lot of that depends on Dan and how he wants to use his time, how productive it's been, how much he enjoys it, and how much value he can bring on a continual basis."

This Texans fan wonders if this foreshadows the eventual successor to Dom Capers or Charley Casserly – or both. Given that we are only three games from the end of the season, there is not much that Reeves can do to substantially help the 1-12 franchise turn the season around, but he could point the team in a new direction following the end of the season. Reeves is a proven winner, and these first four seasons have shown us that the current leadership is not what is needed to create a winning tradition.

UPDATE: The Chronicle's John McClain proposes a scenario in which Reeves will get the job of coach. Sounds rther like how Dick Cheney got the VP nod in 2000.

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One British paper is reporting that Harry Potter may die at the end of Book 7.

HARRY Potter may die in the next book in the series because author JK Rowling wants to kill him off, it was claimed last night.

Actor Jim Dale - the voice of the teenage wizard in the US audio books - believes the seventh and final instalment will spell the end for Harry.

He made the astonishing claim after meeting with the writer to discuss his characterisation of the parts.

The revelation will shock millions of die-hard Potter fans.

He said: "She's lived with Harry Potter so long she really wants to kill him off." Predictions about the fate of Harry in the seventh book have enthralled millions worldwide.

No name or publication date have yet been released, although it is expected by early 2007 at the latest.

I would hope that Rowling has the sense not to kill off her hero. Conan Doyle tried that, throwing Sherlock Holmes into the falls with Moriarty, only to contrive his return in the face of popular outrage. The boy wizard has captured the public imagination like no other fictional character in my lifetime – I would hope that Rowling would leave open the possibility of some sequel by letting Harry survive. Even if there is no sequel, the very act of allowing a “happily ever after” ending will keep alive the series’ underlying theme of home in the face of adversity.

On a ligheter (?) note, Captain Ed offers some insights into how the book might end in the hands of an author other than JK Rowling.

On the other hand, we could also explore what others might do to justify Harry's death. Suppose, for example, that Rowling let Howard Dean write the last volume. We could then get treated to Voldemort as a misunderstood victim, or perhaps a bad guy but no worse than the arrogant and arbitrary Albus Dumbledore, who tried to control the wizarding world just as surely as Tom Riddle. Why, Dumbledore taught Voldemort almost everything he knew! And the Ministry of Magic spent years denying Voldemort's danger, so obviously they are to blame for all that has happened, not the evil wizard (as if there is any such thing as evil). Harry, therefore, is little more than a fool that chose the wrong horse and got himself killed for it. Good thing, too, because if he survived, he would get blamed for all the deaths that occurred just because he found it necessary to oppose Voldemort.

Now that would make one creepy ending for a delightful series.

Yes, it would be creepy, Ed – But surely no one could be so lacking in moral fiber as to believe that the war between good and evil is lost simply because a modest but rising death toll accompanies each victory over the evildoers.

Posted by: Greg at 08:42 AM | Comments (4) | Add Comment
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Surely the Houston Texans couldn't blow a lead in the final seconds of a game two weeks in a row.

Could they?

A game filled with blunders, fumbles and penalties ended in familiar fashion for the Houston Texans.

Matt Stover kicked a 38-yard field goal with 6 seconds left, giving the Baltimore Ravens a 16-15 victory over the bumbling Texans today.

Kris Brown's fifth field goal with 1:08 to go to put Houston in position for its second win of the season. But for the second straight week, the Texans (1-11) let a seemingly certain victory get away.

Speaking as a guy with season tickets (Section 541, Row M), I hope Dom Capers is packing and that Casserly and McNair are already looking at how to use that #1 draft pick.

Posted by: Greg at 01:25 PM | Comments (82) | Add Comment
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They cost $25 a pop and are available only at Walmart -- and have been flying off the shelves.

What are they?

The Garth Brooks boxed set.

The country's biggest- selling album is available at only one retailer, and it's being considered No. 1 only because the retailer says so.

Wal-Mart, which inked an exclusive deal with Garth Brooks this summer, says it sold half a million copies of the six-disc "Limited Series Boxed Set" through pre-orders and one day of store sales (Nov. 25), outpacing the disc that Nielsen SoundScan reported as the chart-topper, System of a Down's "Hypnotize."

Wal-Mart chose to bypass the SoundScan system entirely by not putting a scan code on the $25 boxed set.

SoundScan, the music industry's official sales tallying company since 1991, creates two charts weekly -- one that goes to Billboard magazine and does not include exclusives such as the Brooks box, and a "comprehensive" chart that includes all sales. An Alanis Morissette disc released this year at Starbucks first, for example, was not included in the Top 200 until it was available at multiple retailers.

Wal-Mart was rather dodgy with sales info about the Brooks "Limited Series Boxed Set," which comprises the albums "Sevens," "Scarecrow," "Double Live" and "The Lost Sessions" plus the DVD "All Access."

The retailer would not disclose the exact number sold nor the number of boxes available for sale, noting they don't give out sales figures for any merchandise. A company spokeswoman says the Brooks set became Wal-Mart's all-time top-selling music item after only three days of sales. Due to its limited run, it is quite possible the set will be sold out by the new year if not Christmas.

While the rest of music industry is aching for results that resemble those of Brooks and Wal-Mart, there's another degree of exclusivity that's helping keep sales limited to the stores: Brooks' tunes are not available for download.

I was there on the morning after Thanksgiving at 0300 hours -- and saw hardly a cart without one .

Garth, I know you promised the girls that you aren't going backout on the road -- but we really want you back, even if only in the form of recorded music and television specials. Country music needs you.

Posted by: Greg at 01:14 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Despite the upcoming confirmation hearing for Samuel Alito and the stalled hearings on other Bush nominees – not to mention the delay in sending a constitutional amendment to the states banning gay marriage – Arlen Specter still has too much time on his hands. Now he wants to tell the Eagles how to deal with Terrell Owens.

Sen. Arlen Specter accused the National Football League and the Philadelphia Eagles of treating Terrell Owens unfairly and said he might refer the matter to the antitrust subcommittee of the Senate Judiciary Committee, which he chairs.

Specter said at a news conference Monday in Harrisburg it was "vindictive and inappropriate" for the league and the Eagles to forbid the all-pro wide receiver from playing and prevent other teams from talking to him.

"It's a restraint of trade for them to do that, and the thought crosses my mind, it might be a violation of antitrust laws," Specter said, though some other legal experts disagreed.

The Eagles suspended Owens on Nov. 5 for four games without pay for "conduct detrimental to the team, and deactivated him with pay on Sunday after the suspension ended.

Arbitrator Richard Bloch said last week the team's actions were supported by the labor agreement between the league and the NFL Players Association.

How did the Pennsylvania RINO and expert in arcane Scottish law come to this conclusion?

Specter emphasized that he was "not a supporter of Terrell Owens."

"I am madder than hell at what he has done in ruining the Eagles' season," the Pennsylvania Republican said. "I think he's in flagrant breach of his contract and I believe the Eagles would be within their rights in not paying him another dime or perhaps even suing him for damages."

But Specter said, "I do not believe, personally, that it is appropriate to punish him (by forcing him to sit out the rest of the season). He's not committed a crime, he's committed a breach of contract. And what they're doing against him is vindictive."

Uh, Arlen, you are right – it is vindictive. But the Eagles are fulfilling the terms of T.O.’s contract – paying him every penny they legally owe him. They are simply not using the services they are paying for. That is simply a business decision. If they want to spend that money and keep him benched, they are within their rights to do so. It is no different than what goes on in radio and television – stations buy the rights to syndicated shows but to keep them out of the hands of rival stations, but do not broadcast them.

And Senator, therea re some folks who are much more versed in sports and labor law than you are who have a very different view on the matter.

"The arbitrator's decision is consistent with our collective bargaining agreement, and it simply enforced the terms of the player's contract," Greg Aiello, an NFL spokesman, said Monday.

"To have an antitrust violation, you have to have a contract or conspiracy in restraint of trade," said Robert McCormick, a law professor at Michigan State University.

Matthew J. Mitten, director of the National Sports Law Institute at Marquette University, said, "We're in the labor arena, not antitrust."

And quite simply, Specter, there is no federal issue here – so shut up and let the Eagles take the course of action that is best for the NFL.

Posted by: Greg at 01:34 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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